Phoenix City Council Approves Purchase of 2,000 Body Cameras

Phoenix police officers will all be outfitted with body cameras after the city council voted in favor of the program's expansion.

By Sydny Shepard

Feb 21, 2019

The Phoenix, Ariz. City Council voted in favor of a $5.7 million expansion of the local police department's body-worn camera program.

The new contract includes purchasing 2,000 new body-worn cameras for Phoenix police officers from Axon, a a law enforcement hardware company best known for making Tasers.

According to Police Chief Jeri Williams, the cameras will come with auto-activation capabilities to help ensure that critical moments are caught on video.

Before giving approval, many council members asked for transparency with the program, such as policies stating that families of victims are to receive footage within 48 hours and officers must make verbal statements before turning the cameras off.

The vote also approved 21 new options in the police department and city prosecutor's office to help administer the body cam program.

The move comes after the Phoenix Police Department made national headlines last year for having the highest rate of police shootings among large cities in the United States.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.